NAVAL, Biliran (PIA) — The local government unit (LGU) of Maripipi together with the provincial government of Biliran and the local health officials are one in eradicating the Chikungunya outbreak in the municipality.

This is in light of the local government unit’s declaration of state of calamity on July 30 in the island-town due to the increasing cases of Chikungunya, recorded at 101 as of 5pm, August 2.

Despite the Chikungunya outbreak, the Rural Health Unit (RHU) of Maripipi told the public not to worry about the mosquito-borne disease.

“Chikungunya is not a communicable or a contagious disease,” Dr. Gabino S. Velasquez IV said Thursday in a phone-patch interview during the PIA radio program “Pulong-Pulong ng Bayan”.

Velasquez said that Chikungunya, a self-limiting disease with symptoms ranging from fever to body and joint pains brought by a female mosquito, specifically Aedes Aegypti, lasts only for 12 days on the average.

Though there is no antidote medicine for Chikungunya, affected patient can take medicines such as Paracetamol for fever and Mefenamic Acid for joint and body pains, he said.

However, Aspirin is not advised to be taken as medicine as it will cause bleeding on the affected patient, he said.

The health officer said Maripipi officials led by Mayor Uldarico P. Macorol, together with the residents, have conducted clean-up activities to destroy and eradicate the breeding places of mosquitoes.

Fogging operations, he said, using the two fogging machines from the Biliran provincial government and from Department of Health (DOH), have been conducted especially in barangays where Chikungunya disease occurred.

He said, medicines were also delivered to the island town from the provincial government of Biliran through Governor Gerardo J. Espina, Jr., and from DOH. Manpower complement is also expected to augment the present health personnel in RHU-Maripipi.

An incident command system was put in place with him as the acting incident commander tasked to formulate the necessary policies, actions, interventions, as well as in the monitoring of various support, funding from the government and private donors in coordination with LGU officials. This is to establish proper coordination and implementation relative to containing the Chikungunya outbreak.

Barangay Binongtoan recorded the highest number with 43 cases, Ermita-39, Casibang-4, Bato-2, Banlas-2, Candihao-2, Binalayan East-1, Viga-1. Seven transient patients from Leyte province, who are construction workers, were also part of the report, Velasquez said.

Maripipi has a recorded Chikungunya cases in 2016 with confirmed results from Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM). (ldl/rsv/PIA8-Biliran)